Falmouth, Maine

Falmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, located just north of Portland. It was first settled in 1630 as part of the English Casco Bay colony, which was abandoned in 1676 and 1690 due to French and Native American attacks. On 12 November 1718, it was formally incorporated, and it once included Portland, South Portland, Westbrook, and Cape Elizabeth within its colonial boundaries. On 18 October 1775, the British Royal Navy burned Falmouth to the ground during the American Revolutionary War, and, after the war, Falmouth was rebuilt as a commercial port. In 1786, the portion of Falmouth along Falmouth Neck seceded to form present-day Portland, and Westbrook broke away from Falmouth in 1814. By 1859, fishing and farming were the principal trades in Falmouth, but the extension of trolley service from Portland to Falmouth in 1898 led to Falmouth becoming a relaxation spot for city dwellers from Portland. Following the advent of the automobile, Falmouth became a suburb of Portland. In 2012, Falmouth had a population of 11,399 people.